5/3/1 Reloaded, 2 Day Split

Training Logs
1

Hi,

I signed up to start posting my logs, so I can keep track. My goal is to gain strength over a long period, whilst remaining healthy and playing basketball/other sport a lot during the week.

I’m doing the 5/3/1 2 day split from the Reloaded article on T-Nation. I’m going to do this for one cycle and then contemplate switching to a 2 day split with two big lifts a day. For now though I will focus on getting as much out of the assistance exercises as possible.

My strength is unimpressive. Here are my stats.

Age: 24
Height: 5’7
Weight: 70kg

1RM calculated from 4-5RM
Bench: 81.55kg (70kgx5)
Military Press: 56.6kg (50kgx4)
Squat: 116.5kg (100kgx5)
Deadlift: 113.2kg (100kgx4)

My deadlift has always been lagging behind my squat. Recently I improved my form and increased it, and lifted 100kg for 4 reps (the most I’ve deadlifted). But, it is still behind the squat. I’m not sure why?

I have done weight training on and off for the last year (mainly off), and have always stopped due to recovery being too much whilst playing lots of sport. However, I enjoy strength training in its own right, and really want to find a program that I can do alongside lots of activity .Hopefully a version of 5/3/1 will fufill this.

Prior to now I was doing starting strength two days a week for a few months, starting with a squat below 60kg. But, even squatting twice a week didn’t allow me to recover properly for sports (I foam roll and take care of myself).

For those not familiar with the 5/3/1 2 day split,

Monday: Squats 5/3/1, leg press 5 x 10, stiff leg deads 5 x 10, abs

Thursday: Bench press 5/3/1, dumbbell press 5 x 10, dumbbell row 5 x 10, biceps curls.

Week 2:

Monday: Deadlift 5/3/1, safety bar squat 5 x 10, good mornings 5 x 10, abs

Thursday: Overhead press 5/3/1, chin-ups 5 x 10, dips 5 x 10, biceps curls.

Any advice/comments are welcome.

Thanks.

2

23/04/2012

Bench Press 5/3/1.
30kg, 5
37.5kg, 5
45kg, 3

50kg, 5
57.5kg, 5
62.5kg, 8

Dumbbell press, 5x10, 20kg

Dumbbell row (more like kroc rows), 5x10, 25kg

Bicep curls, 5x10, 20kg

Ran a mile on the tread-mill, 5.13

3

24/04/2012

Played basketball for about 2 hours and 40 minutes.

First 40 minutes practiced shooting.

Second two hours was 5v5, subbed every 15-20 minutes for about 5 minutes.

Feel like I’ve been beat up.

4

26/04/2012

Squat 5/3/1.
42.5kg, 5
52.5kg, 5
65kg, 3

70kg, 5
80kg, 5
90kg, 8

Bulgarian split squat (with front foot elevated), 5x10, 10kg DBs (no leg press machine)

Romanian deadlift, 5x10, 50kg

Weighted situps, 5x10, 6kg (don’t laugh)

5

I gotta follow this log, since we have almost the same lifts except your squats are alot better than mine :slight_smile:

I am also using a two a week variation of 5/3/1, but I am doing two lifts a day.

Good workouts so far, I will be following.

If you want to check out my log, I leave a link to it here:

6

[quote]florelius wrote:
I gotta follow this log, since we have almost the same lifts except your squats are alot better than mine :slight_smile:

I am also using a two a week variation of 5/3/1, but I am doing two lifts a day.

Good workouts so far, I will be following.

If you want to check out my log, I leave a link to it here:

I will definitely keep track of your log. Will be interesting to see how the two 2 day splits compare over time. How are you finding recovery on that split?

7

Gym has been shut for last two days, thanks to a fire nearby. It is reopening again tomorrow, so will do press day tomorrow, deadlift on thursday.

Did some conditioning on sunday.

29/04/2012

Hill sprints,
8 reps,
40 yards(ish),
9 minutes 03 seconds.

8

[quote]Hardrock123 wrote:

[quote]florelius wrote:
I gotta follow this log, since we have almost the same lifts except your squats are alot better than mine :slight_smile:

I am also using a two a week variation of 5/3/1, but I am doing two lifts a day.

Good workouts so far, I will be following.

If you want to check out my log, I leave a link to it here:

I will definitely keep track of your log. Will be interesting to see how the two 2 day splits compare over time. How are you finding recovery on that split?[/quote]

cool :slight_smile:

The recovery are obviously not a problem on a 2xweek routine. If it is then diet and or sleep must be totally fucked.

ps. sucks when the gym are closed, happened to me on saturday and it made me sad :confused:

9

02/05/2012

Overhead Press 5/3/1.
22.5kg, 5
27.5kg, 5
32.5kg, 3

35kg, 5
40kg, 5
45kg, 7

Chin ups, 10x5 (throughout workout)

BW dips, 5x10

Bicep curls, 5x10, 20kg

10

[quote]Hardrock123 wrote:
02/05/2012

Overhead Press 5/3/1.
22.5kg, 5
27.5kg, 5
32.5kg, 3

35kg, 5
40kg, 5
45kg, 7

Chin ups, 10x5 (throughout workout)

BW dips, 5x10

Bicep curls, 5x10, 20kg
[/quote]

Good job, looked like a nice workout :wink:

11

[quote]florelius wrote:

[quote]Hardrock123 wrote:
02/05/2012

Overhead Press 5/3/1.
22.5kg, 5
27.5kg, 5
32.5kg, 3

35kg, 5
40kg, 5
45kg, 7

Chin ups, 10x5 (throughout workout)

BW dips, 5x10

Bicep curls, 5x10, 20kg
[/quote]

Good job, looked like a nice workout :wink:
[/quote]

Cheers, it was a good one. Bicep curls are so weak though, struggling with just the bar!

12

Bit late posting this, had to go to London.

03/05/2012

Weight: 70.08kg

Deadlift 5/3/1.
42.5kg, 5
52.5kg, 5
62.5kg, 3

72.5kg, 5 (was supposed to do 67.5kg, woopS)
77.5kg, 5
87.5kg, 10

Squat 50%, 5x10, 52.5kg

Good mornings, 5x10, 40kg

Weighted situps, 5x10, 6kg

13

Good deadlift hardrock :slight_smile:

14

09/05/2012

Decided to switch to two main lifts a session for the rest of the cycle.

Bench 5/3/1.
30kg, 5
37.5kg, 5
45kg, 3

52.5kg, 3
60kg, 3
67.5kg, 5

Squat 5/3/1.
42.5kg, 5
52.5kg, 5
65kg, 3

75kg, 3
85kg, 3
95kg, 6

Squat 50%, 5x10, 52.5kg

DB bench press, 5x10, 20kg

DB row (kroc rows), 5x10, 25kg

Weighted situps, 5x10, 7kg

Don’t know if this is too much assistance work? Guess I will find out…

15

11/05/2012

Weight: 71.9kg

Deadlift 5/3/1.
42.5kg, 5
52.5kg, 5
62.5kg, 3

72.5kg, 3
82.5kg, 3
92.5kg, 11 PR

Press 5/3/1.
22.5kg, 5
27.5kg, 5
32.5kg, 3

37.5kg, 3
42.5kg, 3
47.5kg, 6

Chinups, 4x6, 5x4, 2x3 (supersetted between squats and good mornings)

Squat 50%, 5x10, 52.5kg

Good Mornings, 5x10, 40kg

Dips, 4x10, 1x6, 1x2, 1x2

Weighted situps, 5x10, 7kg (supersetted with Dips)

Great workout. Was exhausting but felt great leaving gym.

16

Good workouts you are getting man, keep it up :slight_smile:

17

[quote]florelius wrote:
Good workouts you are getting man, keep it up :)[/quote]

Cheers mate! Went for a skate last night as well, and suprisingly legs feel alright this morning.

18

14/05/2012

Weight: 74kg (full of water)

5/3/1 Squat.
42.5kg, 5
52.5kg, 5
65kg, 3

80kg, 5
90kg, 3
100kg, 7 PR

5/3/1 Bench.
30kg, 5
37.5kg, 5
45kg, 3

57.5kg, 5
62.5kg, 3
70kg, 5

Deadlift 50%, 5 x 10, 50kg

Superset:
Press 50%, 5 x 10, 25kg
DB kroc rows, 5 x 10, 25kg

Weighted situps, 5 x 10, 8kg

Squats were really hard, so was bench. Bench seems to be sticking around 70kg.

Thinking about changing/reducing assistance work, as it feels draining, and not in a good way.

19

Good workout, I envy your squat :slight_smile:

If you are dead set on doing two main movements in one session, you would be wise to reduce the assistence.

Something like this is better:

Day1:
squat: 531.
bench: 531.
a row variation: 3-5 x 10.

Day2:
press: 531.
deads: 531.
chins: a total of 30-50reps.

Do this everytime, but if you have more energy you could add in one or two small movements like rear raises and curls or sit ups and back raises etc. Thats basickly what I do.

20

[quote]florelius wrote:
Good workout, I envy your squat :slight_smile:

If you are dead set on doing two main movements in one session, you would be wise to reduce the assistence.

Something like this is better:

Day1:
squat: 531.
bench: 531.
a row variation: 3-5 x 10.

Day2:
press: 531.
deads: 531.
chins: a total of 30-50reps.

Do this everytime, but if you have more energy you could add in one or two small movements like rear raises and curls or sit ups and back raises etc. Thats basickly what I do.[/quote]

Thanks for the help.

I was thinking of throwing in glute-ham raises as well, what do you think? Or possibly kettlebell swings. Just some kind of lower body assistance.

Squat/bench
Kroc rows 1-2 warm up sets of 10 then all out set
GHR 3x5
weighted abs 5x10

Deadlift/press
Chinups 10x5
GHR 3x5
Hanging leg raises 5x10

Also, on this two day split, do you take a deload week?